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I...am the reason for the Legion's return. Years ago, I brought the orcs to this world, and by doing so, I opened a path for the demons as well. For my sins I was murdered by those who I cared for most. Despite my death, war raged across the lands of the east for many years, leaving entire kingdoms devastated in its wake. Now at long last I have returned to set things right. I... am Medivh, The Last Guardian. I tell you now, the only chance for this world is to unite in arms against the enemies of all who live.

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Medivh's mother, Aegwynn, served as the Guardian of Tirisfal before him. Eight centuries before the coming of the orcs, she fought and seemingly defeated Sargeras. This was according to the demon lord's plan, as he used the opportunity to transfer his essence into her body, where he would lay in wait.

Forty-five years before the coming of the orcs, Aegwynn desired to give birth to a child to whom she could pass on her powers, against the wishes of the Order of Tirisfal. She seduced the court conjurer of the Kingdom of Azeroth, Nielas Aran, who was a powerful sorcerer of the Order in his own right, only returning later to leave the child in his care. Naming the boy Medivh, which means "keeper of secrets" in the high elven tongue, Aegwynn was unaware that Sargeras had possessed the defenseless child while it was still in her womb. The boy, and Sargeras, were given all of Aegwynn's powers, which were to lay dormant until he reached adulthood.

Medivh had a happy childhood, primarily spent with friends Prince Llane Wrynn and Anduin Lothar. One day, while out on the road in Stranglethorn Vale, Medivh and his friends were ambushed by three jungle trolls. None were hurt badly; however, Medivh fainted after casting several spells.[18] He would at some point succumb to a coma on his fourteenth birthday, awaking in the middle of the night from evil dreams, where he pictured figures giving chase through deep chasms. In a sweat, he stumbled into his father's room and, when his father touched his brow, the power his mother had given him awoke. By the time the force had subsided, his father was dead and Medivh nearly so himself. Spanning over twenty years, Medivh, in a coma caused by Sargeras, was tended by his friend Lothar, as well as the clerics at Northshire Abbey. It is unknown if the two events are connected in some way.

Medivh awoke over twenty years later under a facade of control, and assured the court and his mother Aegwynn that he was fine. But the dark spirit of Sargeras twisted his thoughts and emotions towards an insidious end. With Medivh's powers growing exponentially daily, he had set out to know everything, and he even consorted with the Legion of the Lower Planes. He began to search for something with which to destroy the humans of Azeroth, whom he saw as the only thing standing in his way of true power. He found that on Draenor. Bargaining with the warlock Gul'dan from his chambers in the tower of Karazhan, Medivh promised to furnish Gul'dan with the location of the Tomb of Sargeras if Gul'dan would bring the Horde to Azeroth and destroy the humans. And so, aided on the other side by Gul'dan's Shadow Council, Medivh opened the Dark Portal between Azeroth and Draenor. Aegwynn then appeared to Medivh, trying to reason that this was the wrong path to take, but he heard nothing. They battled, with Medivh emerging the victor and banishing her from his sight. But the battle had drained him, so he attempted to draw power from the very land itself. Aegwynn had survived the battle with Medivh, who promptly set up magical wards to ensure that his mother lived in peace.[19]

Aegwynn wasn't the only one to confront the maverick guardian. Arcanagos, a blue dragon and one of the guardians of magic, paid visit to Karazhan to attempt to sway Medivh from the path he was being led down. Finally the blue resorted to using force, but was overpowered by Medivh and burned from within. Once again Medivh was left drained and left to recover his strength.

It was shortly after this time that the mages of Dalaran sent Medivh an apprentice. This young apprentice was known as Khadgar, a name which among the dwarves meant Trust. Time passed as "Young Trust" studied under Medivh. He lived within Karazhan with a few others: Medivh studying, Moroes serving as his aide, and Cook the Chef making meals.

Around this time, the war began picking up between the orcs and the humans, as the orcs increasingly struck out of the Black Morass. Medivh was sober about this, even remarking that it was happening as planned.[20] Soon after, the Horde's emissary, Garona Halforcen, came to Karazhan. Unbeknownst to anyone Medivh and Garona had a brief affair which later resulted in a child, the mixed race Med'an.

Through a vision in Karazhan, Khadgar and Garona[21] discovered that it was Medivh who contacted Gul’dan and brought the orcs upon the lands of Azeroth. Shorty after, Khadgar and Garona fled from Karazhan to Stormwind to warn King Llane and Anduin Lothar about the corruption of the Guardian. King Llane thought of it as one of Medivhs mood swings and did not pay much attention to it, though Lothar believed it was a matter of importance and that further investigation was needed. Later on, he led a troop of human forces (including Khadgar and Garona) to deal with the crazed Guardian. While battling, Medivh cast a spell to drain the youth and power out of Khadgar, making his hair grey and his body useless. With a sword, Khadgar managed to deliver a final strike to his master, ending his life and purifying him from the demon-lord Sargeras. As Medivh was dying, the body started to transform into demon-like shape and to finish it; Lothar had to decapitate it, banishing Sargeras into the Nether. [22]

At the height of his powers, Medivh worked his magics and struggled with Sargeras in his tower of Karazhan. His powers were such that the trauma of his death laid a curse on his once wondrous tower and the surrounding area that became Deadwind Pass. The tower has become such a dangerous and accursed place, that those that venture in never return (Violet Eye chain).[23] Medivh's magics created Medivh's Beetle at the time of the Second War.

When Khadgar killed Medivh and destroyed the spirit of Sargeras, Medivh's spirit escaped.[24] The spirit of Medivh foresaw the eventual downfall of Lordaeron,[14] and with his mother's help his spirit attained form,[25] and he was resurrected by the last of her magic.[26]

Medivh briefly returned to Karazhan, where he interacted with a past version of Khadgar (though it was a future version of Medivh from Khadgar's perspective). He explained to his erstwhile apprentice that with his burial in the past by Khadgar and his current return to life, the good (the Guardian) and the evil (Sargeras) battling within him had been destroyed, and that he was, perhaps for the first time, only Medivh.[27]

Long after the Second War, a strange prophet appeared to various denizens of Azeroth. He appeared to deliver a warning of a looming apocalyptic threat. The young warchief of the Horde— Thrall, son of Durotan —had a dream where the orcs and humans were fighting against each other while infernals rained from the sky. He awakened and The Prophet told him it was a vision, that he must go to the ancient lands of Kalimdor if he wished to save his people, Thrall sensed the truth of his words and set sail to Kalimdor in the far west beyond the sea. Medivh, The Prophet, chose to remain uninvolved directly in the upcoming war (leading some to suspect he had remained a ghost). He has the ability to turn into a black raven.[28]

The Horde went to Kalimdor; however, convincing the humans was found to be more difficult. King Terenas of Lordaeron and Antonidas of Dalaran both dismissed The Prophet as a madman. The king's son, Prince Arthas, refused to leave his beleaguered people. Only the young daughter of Daelin Proudmoore, and apprentice of Antonidas, Jaina, sensed that he was perhaps right. When he appeared to her after the destruction of Stratholme, she heeded his warning and prepared to leave for the west. She set sail with a group of her people just as the invasion began. Thrall arrived to Kalimdor looking for his destiny, and his new acquaintance Cairne Bloodhoof— chieftain of the Bloodhoof tribe —suggested he go to the Oracle. Thrall fought his way through the Human Expedition until he arrived at the Oracle, but he found Jaina and some humans. As they prepared to battle each other, the prophet appeared. He told them that they must cease hostilities if they ever hoped to defeat the Burning Legion and escape its corruption. They reluctantly agreed.

Finally, The Prophet revealed his identity when the time came to rally the forces. Appearing in a dream to Thrall, the night elf Malfurion Stormrage and Jaina, The Prophet told them that they must form an alliance to battle the common enemy. He told them that he was, in fact, Medivh, the Last Guardian of Tirisfal, and that it was his doing that brought the orcs, and, in turn, the Burning Legion, to Azeroth. Jaina, Thrall, and Malfurion became convinced that victory could only be achieved through an alliance, and they rallied together to defend the World Tree, Nordrassil. In the final hour, nature's spirits, called into action by the Horn of Cenarius' clarion call, swarmed around Archimonde, and destroyed the demon once and for all.[29]

Confident that the world was safe for now, and that he had repaid a fraction of debt for his terrible sins, Medivh vanished, to take his place "amongst the legends of the past."[29] His actions ensured Azeroth's survival and he found some redemption for his previous crimes.[15]

After the events of the Battle of Mount Hyjal he went to places unknown;[30] he may have met the end of his wandering on Azeroth and somehow departing the material plane, or he may have simply retired somewhere distant. More recently, a black raven can be seen endlessly circling Karazhan, leading some to suggest that the Last Guardian may linger on in some form. A Black Raven also appears on the loading screen when entering Karazhan. Nonetheless, his fate remains unknown, though it is quite clear from his final comments that he intends to never be heard from or seen again.

In spite of his unknown fate, he left an avatar of himself in Karazhan to give a message of knowledge and power to his son, Med'an, so that Med'an could decide his own fate.

Medivh's death was clearly described in The Last Guardian, where it is established that he was slain by the three listed above — with Khadgar wielding the blade that was run through Medivh's heart (and Lothar then decapitating him); this version is supported by various sources.[32][24][33][34][35][36]

In the interlude The Last Guardian in the "Eternity's End" campaign in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Medivh is shown in a flashback being killed by human footmen. Though the captain figure in the scene could be Lothar, Khadgar and Garona are nowhere to be seen. In The Last Guardian it is, however, described that Khadgar and Garona were wearing Stormwind garbs, which would explain why they could be displayed as normal footmen.

Finally in Flashback we see Medivh being stabbed through the heart by Khadgar with Lothar standing just behind.

The idea that there were more involved than just Lothar, Khadgar, and Garona is supported by Shadows & Light ("...a squad of human warriors...")[15] and Horde Player's Guide ("A group of human heroes slowed the invasion by slaying Medivh").[37] However, both sources also confirm that Lothar, Khadgar, and Garona were involved as well.[2][38][39] In Tides of Darkness it is explained that Lothar was with Garona, Khadgar and a handful of men when they defeated Medivh.[40]

Although long gone by the time of World of Warcraft, Medivh still makes several appearances in one form or another in two significant instances. Strangely, Medivh's character model, from where his animations are derived, is that of a male night elf as opposed to a human, which accounts for his increased height.

His first appearance is within the Caverns of Time: Opening the Dark Portal, the second instance within the caverns opened after Thrall's Escape from Durnholde. It is set in the Black Morass just as Medivh prepares to open the Dark Portal, and the player group must protect him from members of the infinite dragonflight attempting to kill him and stop the opening of the Portal, which would prevent the Horde from crossing into Azeroth.

Medivh is also involved in the attunement process for Karazhan. After obtaining the fragments of Khadgar's key from instances in Outland, Khadgar sends you to the Black Morass to speak to Medivh to enchant it so that it will open the locked gates of Karazhan; Medivh will instead give you the Master's Key. However, you must have completed the instance (Medivh must survive to open the Dark Portal) before you can speak to him and gain his key.

He shows up twice more in his old tower of Karazhan in Deadwind Pass which has been abandoned since Medivh's death at the hands of Khadgar and Lothar, shortly before the end of the First War. An "Echo of Medivh" is seen where players play a game of chess against him in the Gamesman's Hall, and an "Image of Medivh" is seen in a flashback on the Master's Terrace fighting off the blue dragon Arcanagos.

Medivh’s soul constantly struggled with that of Sargeras for control of his body and mind. The fight between them was constant, and resulted in Medivh shifting periodically between stretches of calmness and lucidity and bouts of strangely incomprehensible behavior. To outsiders, he often seemed to make abrupt decisions or reverse his position on issues. When the struggle between the two souls became too great for Medivh's body to handle, he sank into a catatonic state and became completely unresponsive. These periods varied greatly in duration and could range from a matter of minutes to months.

When Medivh was in control of his body and mind, he was a friendly and wise individual. He cared deeply for a number of the high-ranking human leaders and put the needs of the kingdom above almost everything else. He had defended Lordaeron from attack many times throughout the years and has built a great reputation as a staunch defender of the land. He was not naturally biased against any of the races, and displayed a fair amount of interest in people who brought to him stories of distant lands or cultures.

However, when Sargeras was in control, Medivh’s personality shifted dramatically. He became sullen and distant, barely acknowledged the presence of close friends, and practically ignored strangers. He was secretive and often traveled to faraway places abruptly. In private, Medivh would not hesitate to do away with annoying visitors by using his spells to kill or incapacitate them. However, he was moderately concerned about his cover being blown with the Lordaeron leadership and would not act out of character in public.[15][41]

Medivh's tactics were often erratic, depending upon which personality was in control at the time. Nonetheless, the common theme with both personalities was to stay at range and harass enemies with potent spells. He often cast only a few spells and then retreated for a few rounds to strike again later from another direction.[41]

Medivh has made many statements, worthy of quotation. However, there is one that is the most memorable; his farewell at the end of the Third War (and Warcraft III), below.

The roots will heal in time... as will the entire world. The sacrifices have been made. Just as the orcs, humans, and night elves discarded their old hatreds and stood united against a common foe, so did Nature herself rise up to banish the Shadow...forever. As for me, I came back to ensure that there would be a future, to teach the world that it no longer needed Guardians. The hope for future generations has always resided in mortal hands. And now that my task is done, I will take my place...amongst the legends of the past.

The most powerful mages focus their powers into magical staves, and Medivh was no different. His staff, Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian, was possessed by an agent of Sargeras, thus boosting Medivh's already-immeasurable powers. When Medivh was killed, Atiesh was taken to Dalaran, where it was revealed that the spirit within killed anyone who dared try to wield it. It was locked away in a secret and secure vault for nearly three decades following Medivh's death, until Dalaran was destroyed by Archimonde. The staff was shattered into 42 pieces—the 40 splinters of the shaft, the base, and the headpiece.

Medivh is classified as an Eternal in the legends chapter of Shadows & Light, but the book is not specific as to how or when he reached that status.[2] The article is mostly concerned with the period in history when he was possessed by Sargeras. This likely means that he was an Eternal only because he was possessed by one. It doesn't seem to be related to the fact he was a guardian, as other guardians are not Eternals, for example Aranda.

Although the article does make a brief reference to his period as the legendary Oracle, it is not likely the reason for his Eternal status. The majority of the article concerned with the period when he had dual personalities where he struggled with Sargeras for control of his body, this includes the role-playing notes and combat section. It explains how others might react to his mood swings and personality changes. His abilities are also a combination of a guardian and Sargeras's abilities.

The book is also pretty clear that no new Eternals have appeared in modern times.[42]

It should be noted Medivh is no longer a human as he was before referenced by his quote in Warcraft III: "I left my humanity behind long ago. I am something...different now."